Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jan 17;16(1):8.
doi: 10.1186/s12920-023-01432-y.

Identification of key regulatory genes and their working mechanisms in type 1 diabetes

Hui Li  1 , Xiao Hu  1 , Jieqiong Li  1 , Wen Jiang  1 , Li Wang  1 , Xin Tan  2
Affiliations

Identification of key regulatory genes and their working mechanisms in type 1 diabetes

Hui Li et al. BMC Med Genomics. .

Abstract

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of beta cells in pancreatic islets. Identification of the key genes involved in T1D progression and their mechanisms of action may contribute to a better understanding of T1D.

Methods: The microarray profile of T1D-related gene expression was searched using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, the expression data of two messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were integrated for Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to generate candidate genes related to T1D. In parallel, T1D microRNA (miRNA) data were analyzed to screen for possible regulatory miRNAs and their target genes. An miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was then established to predict the key regulatory genes and their mechanisms.

Results: A total of 24 modules (i.e., clusters/communities) were selected using WGCNA analysis, in which three modules were significantly associated with T1D. Further correlation analysis of the gene module revealed 926 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 327 genes were correlated with T1D. Analysis of the miRNA microarray showed that 13 miRNAs had significant expression differences in T1D. An miRNA-mRNA network was established based on the prediction of miRNA target genes and the combined analysis of mRNA, in which the target genes of two miRNAs were found in T1D correlated genes.

Conclusion: An miRNA-mRNA network for T1D was established, based on which 2 miRNAs and 12 mRNAs were screened, suggesting that they may play key regulatory roles in the initiation and development of T1D.

Keywords: Differentially expressed genes; GEO; Type 1 diabetes; WGCNA.

References

    1. Powers AC. Type 1 diabetes mellitus: much progress, many opportunities. J Clin Invest. 2021;131(8):e142242. - DOI
    1. Patterson CC, Dahlquist GG, Gyurus E, Green A, Soltesz G, Group ES. Incidence trends for childhood type 1 diabetes in Europe during 1989–2003 and predicted new cases 2005–20: a multicentre prospective registration study. Lancet. 2009;373(9680):2027–33. - DOI
    1. Vehik K, Hamman RF, Lezotte D, Norris JM, Klingensmith G, Bloch C, Rewers M, Dabelea D. Increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes in 0- to 17-year-old Colorado youth. Diabetes Care. 2007;30(3):503–9. - DOI
    1. American Diabetes Association Professional Practice C. 2. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes: standards of medical care in diabetes-2022. Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S17–38. - DOI
    1. Santin I, Eizirik DL. Candidate genes for type 1 diabetes modulate pancreatic islet inflammation and beta-cell apoptosis. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2013;15(Suppl 3):71–81. - DOI